Eros

Greek God of Passion

Eros was an ancient Greek god who was the equivalent of the Roman Cupid. He was the god of passionate love and it's from his name that we get our English word "erotic". He is usually represented as a winged young man carrying a bow.

Origin

Early stories of Eros described him as one of the oldest and most powerful of the gods - very much a primal force. The poet Hesiod described Eros as having arisen from pimordial chaos alongside Gaia and Tartarus. In this form Eros was more of a basic universal concept than an instantiated god form to be worshipped. According to Hesiod, Eros is:

"...the fairest of the deathless gods;
he unstrings the limbs and subdues both mind
and sensible thought in the breasts of all gods and all men"

Over time the Greek view of Eros "softened" rather, making him more of a recognisable figure and less of a primal power. Later stories refer to him as being the son of Aphrodite - herself a goddess of love. The identity of his father is disputed but most stories have Ares paying the maintenance! In his form as Aphrodite's son Eros became widely worshipped as a male counterpart of his mother.

The Power of Love

One interesting fact about Eros is that - as confirmed by Hesiod - his powers could influence not just mortals but also other gods. Even the gods were unable to resist the appeal of erotic passion - indeed, judging by some of the stories in Greek mythology they were probably even more susceptible than mortals!

The strength of his power meant that Eros could be a source of much trouble. Sometimes he used his arrows in a playful manner to bring happiness, at others he was at best indifferent to the havoc he caused and at worst distinctly mischievous. He was also quite willing to use his power to gain revenge and the fire of passion he ignited could burn deeply for ill as well as for good.

Eros was not immune to love and passion, most notably in his relationship with the mortal princess Psyche. Aphrodite was jealous of Psyche's beauty and sent Eros to destroy her by causing her to fall in love with the ugliest mortal on the earth. Instead Eros fell in love with her himself and took her home to his palace. After Psyche fulfilled a number near impossible tasks Aphrodite relented, turned her into an immortal and allowed her and Eros to live in happiness.

Some legends tell of Eros having a lesser known brother, Anteros who is associated with the requited love of a couple. He is also the avenger of unrequited love, being called upon to punish those who have spurned romantic advances. The famous statue in London's Piccadilly Circus is known to locals and tourists alike as Eros but was in fact intended to represent Anteros.

Over time the softening of Eros continued until he eventually transformed into the cherubic god Cupid of Roman myth and legend.